Watch: A Fijian Tube Tutorial with Jack Robinson, Yago Dora, Joao Chianca and Ian Gentil

An innocent trip with friends to a premiere surf resort, or early training for the return of an esteemed CT venue?  

Either way, Jack Robinson, Yago Dora, Joao Chianca and Ian Gentil sharpened two knives with one stroke. Shortly after the Final Five in September, those four embarked on a trip to Fiji to sample Cloudbreak, which will return to the CT this year after a five-season absence. It was Jack and Joao’s first time at the wave that has produced some of the most remarkable footage in surfing’s history. 

Maybe they needed a break from the mental demands of the new tour structure. Maybe they wanted to hang purely as friends without the awkward pressure of competing against each other. Or maybe they just wanted to get some really, really good lefts.

And they found them in spades. The captured footage, documented by lensmen Loïc Wirth and Dan Scott (with a jetski cameo from Ryan Hipwood), lies in the video above for your viewing pleasure. 

Just going off the clip, it appeared Joao was, at times, emotionally overwhelmed by the beauty and magnitude of the wave. You would be too if you made the waves he did. However, the novelty didn’t throw him off his game at all, as evidenced by his numerous vanishing acts. Meanwhile, Jack goes about a clinical dissection, and based on Yago’s performance I’d wager he’s licking his chops to surf this wave frontside in a jersey. 

While Joao is on the road to recovery after his horrific Pipeline wipeout in December, there’s no official word about when he’ll be back in the water, much less ready for the CT. This video is a welcome reminder of how fresh and enthusiastic Joao is, both in surfing and personality. Here’s to hoping he’s able to get back to doing what he loves, and there are wildcard entries with his name on them.